plant-inspired food + lifestyle

Classic Tofu Scramble

There are some dishes that are such staples, you could make them with your eyes closed. Tofu scramble is that dish for me. I KNOW, soo basic. But soo good. Just like avocado toast, tofu scramble is a vegan breakfast classic, loved by all. I told y’all, my body is in need of the hearty basics after all the crazy indulgences at the Houston Vegandale Festival.

Tofu scramble was the first thing my mom ever taught me in the kitchen. She likes to make hers a bit on the salty side, because we would usually eat it with plain white rice. SO GOOD. It’s a staple that stands the test of time. Last year, one of my vegan friends told me that my tofu scramble back in high school actually introduced her to vegan food. High school was at least 10 years ago…I was so touched!! Omnivores have told me that this scramble even rivals the one at a certain beloved vegan diner around these parts (Spiral Diner, I still love you and your migas; don’t come for me, hahaha). My cousin Jackie is also obsessed with my tofu scramble and has always asked me exactly how I make it, so I made a Highlight about it on my Instagram to share the process; check it out here!

It’s high time I had a post on here dedicated to this beloved classic. My sister Anna and I often find ourselves making a huge batch of tofu scramble every week or so, especially when we find tofu on sale for 25 cents a box! Yes, that happened this weekend, and we bought ten boxes. My mom was so proud, but she said we should’ve gotten 20. #asianmoms

Tofu scramble is satisfying, quick, and packed with nutrients and protein. And it’s so easy to pack in veggies and customize it to your liking! You can make it so many different ways, depending on your mood. Tofu scramble is THE most versatile dish in any vegan’s repertoire. Everyone’s got their own way of making it, and here’s mine! Lately, I’ve been obsessed with lemon pepper and I put it in everything. It really brightens up a tofu scramble!

Classic Tofu Scrambleserves 4-5

Time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon any neutral oil, like grapeseed oil

1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup diced onion)

6 cloves garlic, minced*

2 blocks extra firm tofu (14 oz each), drained

1/4 cup nutritional yeast**

3/4 teaspoon tumeric

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons lemon pepper

2 teaspoons mushroom powder or truffle dust***

sea salt, to taste

chopped veggies of your choice (optional) ****

Notes:*Oftentimes, I’ll skip the garlic if I’m in a hurry, but it does add more depth of flavor! Can’t go wrong with garlic!

**The addition of nutritional yeast is something I picked up in my later years of making tofu scramble. If you don’t have it on hand, it’s not super essential, but it is soo good, you should stock up on it!

***Don’t skip this! This will give our tofu scramble an umami flavor that is to-die-for. Mushroom powder can be found at Asian markets; whereas truffle dust can be found at most grocery stores, such as Kroger!

Roughly crumble the tofu with your hands into a large bowl, into a consistency you like. I like a variety of small and medium pieces. Some people use a fork but I’ve found my hands get the job done much faster.

Stir the spices (onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, mushroom powder) in a small bowl with some water, enough for them to become incorporated. Set aside for later.*

Add the oil to a thick bottomed pan, and preheat on high heat. Once the oil gets hot, reduce the heat to medium high, and use a wooden spatula to saute the onions and garlic with the oil. Cook until translucent, and toss it around.

Add the tofu to the pan and toss it around with the onions and garlic.

Add the nutritional yeast and turmeric to the tofu and toss to incorporate. As you do this, you can continue to break the tofu into smaller pieces to your liking, so that they resemble scrambled eggs.

Pour the seasonings into the tofu, tossing well to coat and distribute the flavors.Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan every so often, to prevent burning. Add a splash of veggie broth or water if the tofu looks too dry or sticks to the pan.

Season to taste with sea salt and add additional spices, to your taste. I love adding some cayenne!

Continue to cook and stir for another five minutes or so, until all the moisture is absorbed to your liking. Some people like a more tender tofu scramble, some like it on the dryer side, with some crispy edges. Find what you like best! I’ve done both.

If you’d like your tofu scramble to get a bit browner, instead of constantly stirring, you can leave it be. Check the bottom with your spatula after a couple minutes. You should have some delicious golden pieces!

After the tofu is done, I like to add a few handfuls of freshly chopped greens and toss them around just to wilt them. This is optional, but such an easy way to get greens in!

Before serving, add some freshly cracked black pepper for the final finish, and throw in some chopped scallions if you have some on hand!

Cooking Notes:
*Step 2 is really optional; most of the time I don’t measure those spices out. I prefer to wing the seasonings as I go, adding dashes and generous pinches here and there, according to taste and feeling, so there’s not a huge need to do this. But for the sake of guidance in this recipe, I am sharing this method.

Once you have a batch of tofu scramble on hand, you can do anything with it!
Eat it alone, with a croissant, as part of a breakfast spread with bagels…it’s so versatile!
I also love to put it on top of avocado toast, stuff it in breakfast bánh mì, pita pockets, breakfast tacos, on pizza, and, my personal favorite: breakfast puff pastries. If I’m feeling nostalgic, I also love to eat it with plain white rice, with some cucumbers and tomatoes (if you decide to eat it with rice, be sure to make the scramble a little saltier)! Let me know in the comments if any of these sound appealing to you and what you think I should blog about next!